Margaret Lloyd ‘Celebration of Life’ to be held at FAC Sunday

Margaret Lloyd moved with her husband, Richard W. Lloyd, to Camden in the early 1950’s and both embraced the community. They donated land and buildings for the community center (Price House), the Fine Arts Center (FAC) of Kershaw County (Douglas-Reed Building) and the nucleus of what became the Historic Camden Revolutionary War Site. The family is planning a small memorial garden at the FAC to honor both of their parents.

Margaret was passionate about protecting the environment and increasing awareness of the connectedness of all living species. She developed a website called "Make Connections". In 2006 she donated Hard Scramble, more than 870 acres next to the Wateree River, to Clemson University for an environmental education center. She was honored by Clemson University with the Ruby C. McSwain Outstanding Philanthropist of the Year Award and later received an honorary Doctor of Humanities.

When Camden previously obtained its domestic water from the headwaters of Little Pine Tree Creek, the Lloyds placed a conservation easement with the city on the Peck Woods, now called Lloyd Woods. This property is the heart of hunt country for The Camden Hunt and is greatly appreciated. Margaret gave this land to her grandchildren with the intention that the natural beauty of this special place will continue to be preserved by another generation of the Lloyd family.

Her father, Morgan Hebard, was an entomologist who passed on his interest in science to Margaret but did not think girls should go the college. She went to art school instead. However, much later she majored in geology at the Gallatin School of New York University and graduated in 1979 at the age of 63. In 1998, she received the Gallatin Distinguished Alumni Award. She remained interested in science and the arts throughout her life. She contributed to the Daniels Education Building, which contains the dance studio named for her.

Margaret wrote a mystical adventure tale titled Hortishland and became a published author in 2001, at age 85. She met with AP English students at Lugoff High School, Camden High School and North Central High School before and after they read and analyzed her book. She related to the teens with honesty and interest in their lives and they found her enlightening. She emphasized to everyone to "live in the moment," "no one will rescue you," and especially "be yourself," and this is how she lived her life.

Her four children, all nine grandchildren and some of her 15 great-grandchildren will be coming to Camden from the four corners of the country for a celebration of Margaret’s life. Although her children have moved away from Camden, it holds a special place in their hearts and they enjoy showing the town to their families. The celebration will be in the Douglas-Reed Building at the FAC on Sunday from 3 to 5 pm. They hope to meet and connect with her South Carolina friends and welcome all who knew her.